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Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) >
Priacanthidae (Bigeyes or catalufas)
Etymology: Priacanthus: Greek, prion = saw + Greek, akantha = thorn (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Marcus Élieser Bloch (1723–1799) was a German physician and naturalist specialising in ichthyology. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Bleeker.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 15 - 30 m (Ref. 9710), usually 25 - ? m (Ref. 30573). Tropical; 23°C - 27°C (Ref. 130636)
Indo-Pacific: Gulf of Aden to Samoa, north to the Philippines and south to the Great Barrier Reef. Often confused with the wide-ranging Priacanthus hamrur. Reports from Taiwan are misidentifications of Priacanthus sagittarius (in Lee, 1980) and Heteropriacanthus cruentatus (in Shen, 1984).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 36.1 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 125599); max. published weight: 403.00 g (Ref. 125599)
Occurs in lagoon and seaward reefs, under ledges or in caves by day (Ref. 9710); often silty habitat (Ref. 48635). Solitary or in small groups (Ref 90102). Rarely trawled (Ref. 30573).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Starnes, W.C., 1988. Revision, phylogeny and biogeographic comments on the circumtropical marine percoid fish family Priacanthidae. Bull. Mar. Sci. 43(2):117-203. (Ref. 5403)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
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